It’s still surprising to me that I have my own little business. My real background are the soft sciences. Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy – these subjects intrigued me since I was a little child.

One (school) day too many years ago, our German teacher came into class and said: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts [Aristotle]. Do you think that is true”? We debated. How can there be more than what is? Most settled on “no”.

In response, our teacher drew a bracket and two dots on the blackboard.

These shapes fundamentally changed – and opened – my understanding of reality. Aristotle seemed right: the whole appears indeed greater than the sum of its parts! *

Half a lifetime later (insert a relocation from Germany to South Africa – as well as an ever growing family), I came across a sample of an interesting material. I instantly fell in love when I saw what it could do – and found myself ‘expecting’ once more: this time with an idea. About 7 months (and lots of labour) later, I beamed at my first Candelah. As offspring tends to do, they take over your life – turning me from a mother of human children (now almost adults) into the mother of Candelahs.

It occurred to me one day that I had accidentally created something that so perfectly fits Aristotle’s quote – and my view of life. The parts of a Candelah – the glass, sleeve, tea light candle and of course the flame – create something greater when together!

One could of course argue that the star inside a Candelah is not real”. But then: “What’s real”? I don’t know, but our perceptions of reality appear to be so very form-able, bend-able and shape-able, just like the bracket and the two dots.

 

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Most of us find it hard to impossible to find happiness solely within ourselves. That’s why it is so beautiful, that we are just one part of many in this set-up of existence and together we can create a reality that is worth living. How?

Hmm …

                                                               Discover the magic by shining your light

Whilst this is my personal philosophy and I try to live by kindness, understanding and supporting others (as well as making use of my talents), I keep on forgetting that I can shine my light. Life gets busy. Things happen. I hold onto the past, worry about the future. If I had one wish, it would be that the light of a Candelah acts like a re-set button, slowing time to the present moment with no room for ‘what was and what will be’, and reminding us that we can shine our light, one little act at a time, to create a happier reality for all within our reach.

With this, I wish you many hours of visual (and other) happiness with your Candelah,

                                                                                                                                                                                          Anja Bee

* Of course one could go deeper into the matter and argue that the arrangement of the parts is a part itself, hence the statement “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” appears not correct after all. I can say from experience that this topic can fill many evenings of good conversation!